Dear Editor,
There can be no doubt that the tragic loss of three lives in Linden last Wednesday was totally unnecessary. It also cannot be disputed that these persons were shot dead by members of the Guyana Police Force. Why then is the Minister of Home Affairs still hanging around? Is he waiting for this to blow over so that he can continue to infect the entire police force with his belligerent and aggressive attitude? He should do the only decent thing at this point and resign immediately.
The fact that he has neither done so nor been asked to do so points to a problem further up the chain of command, and I wish to respectfully suggest than any President who does not have what it takes to remove a Minister under whose watch such an atrocity occurs is not worthy of holding that office. It should also be noted that the President of this country who, the last time I checked, was President of all of Guyana has so far not visited the community of Linden since the incident and, again, I would respectfully suggest that any President worthy of holding that office would have made it a priority to pay such a visit. It is not too late.
The purpose of our police force is to enforce and uphold the laws of our country and to bring to justice those who violate these laws.
As a Guyanese, I feel a deep sense of shame over what we have allowed ourselves to become. Three innocent people have been savagely shot dead by law enforcement officers and our government does not consider it a big deal because they believe that somehow the rest of us are not particularly concerned with the welfare of Lindeners. The artful use of the state media in maintaining the necessary apathy cannot be overlooked as much effort is taken to give the impression that this protest was little more than a gathering of thugs looking for an excuse to loot and burn. The sad fact in this case is that the thugs wore uniforms and were armed with lethal weapons provided by our tax dollars.
Throughout history, protest action has preceded major advances that allow us to enjoy many of the rights which we hold dear. The right to peaceful protest is today regarded as an almost sacred component of any democracy. The fact that such protests may cause major disruptions and inconvenience to many is understood and accepted, and law enforcement agencies are tasked with ensuring that these protests remain peaceful and the disruption is minimized. This calls for proper training, planning and following clear guidelines on the use of force.
So far there have been no reports that any members of the Guyana Police Force were injured during last Wednesday night’s incident.
Instead there is a preponderance of evidence that the police opened fire on unarmed protestors who presented no danger to them whatsoever. Was this a part of the plan? What was the threat posed by these protesters that required such excessive use of force?
Perhaps our government feels it does not have to account to the people of Linden for the murder of three of their citizens because the overwhelming majority of Lindeners voted against them in the last elections.
Perhaps it is time for those who did vote for them to hold this government accountable for the unlawful killing of their fellow Guyanese citizens. A failure to do so might be considered an endorsement of what has occurred and may embolden the perpetrators. This is definitely not what we need.
One cannot ignore the racial aspect of this particular case. Given the ethnic composition of this country, when three innocent Afro-Guyanese members of a predominantly Afro-Guyanese community are shot and killed while participating in a peaceful demonstration, the question “who cares?” suddenly becomes very relevant. Guyanese of all ethnicities need to stand together with the people of Linden and demand a full investigation into these unlawful killings. I’d like to believe that Guyana is better off for its ethnic diversity but far too often we fail to make it count.
In closing, my deep condolences to the relatives of the deceased. I wish a full and fast recovery to the injured; and may the perpetrators be brought to justice.
Yours faithfully,
Dominic Gaskin
